2008 Women's Six Nations Championship

The 2008 Women's Six Nations Championship, also known as the 2008 RBS Women's 6 Nations due to the tournament's sponsorship by the Royal Bank of Scotland, was the seventh series of the rugby union Women's Six Nations Championship. England comfortably won a third successive Grand Slam—the first time this had been achieved in the Women's Six Nations. However, after a good start against Wales it was not quite as easily won as in the previous year, with Italy, Scotland and Ireland all scoring tries against the champions, something that only France managed in 2007.

2008 Women's Six Nations Championship
Countries England
 France
 Ireland
 Italy
 Scotland
 Wales
Tournament statistics
Champions England (9th title)
Grand Slam England (9th title)
Triple Crown England (12th title)
Matches played15
Top point scorer(s)Wales Non Evans (34)
Top try scorer(s)England Claire Allan (6)
← 2007 (Previous) (Next) 2009 →

While the England win was predictable it was Ireland that surprised many. Historically one of the weakest nations in the tournament, they only went down to narrow defeats to England, France, and Wales, while recording wins over both Italy and Scotland. The result was probably their best ever tournament performance.

The decline of Scottish women's rugby, on the other hand, continued. Though their performance against England showed hope for improvement, two successive defeats in two years to Ireland meant that Scotland ranked for the first time below the Irish, while defeat to Italy—the Italians' first ever Six Nations win—was the final blow in a disastrous campaign.

France—on paper the second best side in the event—were distinctly unimpressive, going down to their largest home defeat to England before losing to Wales for the second time in three years, the result being only third place. Wales, on the other hand, recovered from an English drubbing in the first game to finish in a well-deserved runners-up position.

Finally, the Italians surprised everyone with their Scottish win, following a campaign that had not appeared competitive in its first four games.

Final table
Pos Team Pld W D L PF PA PD Pts
1  England 5 5 0 0 213 18 +195 10
2  Wales 5 4 0 1 72 76 −4 8
3  France 5 3 0 2 104 72 +32 6
4  Ireland 5 2 0 3 66 65 +1 4
5  Italy 5 1 0 4 48 167 −119 2
6  Scotland 5 0 0 5 39 144 −105 0
Source:

Results
2008-02-01
Ireland 19–0[1][2] Italy
St Mary's College RFC
2008-02-02
England 55–0[1][2] Wales
London Irish
2008-02-03
Scotland 15–43[1][2] France
Meggetland
2008-02-09
Italy 6–76[1][2] England
Rome
2008-02-10
Wales 23–6[1][2] Scotland
Taff's Well
2008-02-10
France 26–17[1][2] Ireland
Saint-Gratien
2008-02-22
Ireland 13–3[1][2] Scotland
St Mary's College RFC
2008-02-23
France 0–31[1][2] England
Bergerac, Agen
2008-02-24
Wales 27–5[1][2] Italy
Taff's Well
2008-03-07
Ireland 10–19[1][2] Wales
St Mary's College RFC
2008-03-08
Scotland 5–34[1][2] England
Meggetland
2008-03-08
France 35–6[1][2] Italy
Valence, Lyon
2008-03-15
England 17–7[1][2] Ireland
London Irish
2008-03-15
Wales 3–0[1][2] France
Taff's Well
2008-03-16
Italy 31–10[1][2] Scotland
Mira

Points scorers
34Non Evans (Wal)
30Claire Allan (Eng, 6 tries), Veronica Schiavon (Ita, 1).
27Estelle Sartini (Fra, 3).
22Alice Richardson (Eng).
21Katy McLean (Eng).
20Louise Rickard (Wal, 4), Celine Allainmat (Fra, 4), Katherine Merchant (Eng, 4).
15Danielle Waterman (Eng, 3), Aurelie Bailon (Fra), Michaela Staniford (Eng, 3), Sarah Beale (Eng, 3).
14Sarah Gill (Sco).
11Grace Davitt (Ire).
10Jane Leonard (Eng, 2), Caroline Ladagnous (Fra, 2), Amy Turner (Eng, 2), Charlotte Barras (Eng, 2), Delphine Plantet (Fra, 2), Jess Limbert (Ire, 2), Germaine Healy (Ire, 2), Catherine Spencer (Eng, 2), Tamara Taylor (Eng, 2), Flavia Severin (Ita, 2), Jilly McCord (Sco, 2).
7Joanne O'Sullivan (Ire, 1).
5Sarah Hunter (Eng, 1), Marie Charlotte Hebel (Fra, 1), Sinead Ryan (Ire, 1), Tanya Griffiths (Sco, 1), Mélanie Gauffinet (Fra, 1), Victoria Massarella (Eng, 1), Joanna McGilchrist (Eng, 1), Margaret Alphonsi (Eng, 1), Sarahjane Belton (Ire, 1), Rachel Poolman (Wal, 1), Clare Flowers (Wal, 1), Giuliana Campanella (Ita, 1), Hayley Baxter (Wal, 1), Heather Lockhart (Sco, 1), Rochelle Clark (Eng, 1), Anaïs Lagougine (Fra, 1), Claire Canal (Fra, 1), Marie Barrett (Ire, 1), Yvonne Nolan (Ire, 1), Joy Neville (Ire, 1), Cara D'Silva (Sco, 1).
3Michela Tondinelli (Ita), Niamh Briggs (Ire), Michaela Reed (Wal).

See also

References
  1. "Women 2008". Sport Statistics - International Competitions Archive. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
  2. "Women's Six Nations". The Rugby Archive. Retrieved 2022-11-16.
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